Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1887-04-25

Alssks Frss Prsss.

Alaska Free Pres.
Having he'd information the other
dav Of 4 crematiou 70 take place Ut the
Indian VILLAGE, went to the beach to
vitresa it The defunct siwash was
kpoWn around juneau ~ Frank and
Wa FORMERLY employed 1t Martin Bros
store 10 the capacity Of Indian clerk,
and tho klockman Ut being . double
crema Atom of one Of each sex had been
called Jennie; both, rs 1t happened,
having died OF consumption. The
mourning service consisted OF the az,
ctsnt ceremony known as "pptlatoh, y
which is always customary among the
indians OF southern Alaska on the &C.
casion of the death OF one Of their u um
Der, The potlatoh IL q division Of What
ever tenn poral goods the deceased may
have possessed, suoh % blankets, dry
goods, S. among bis or her relations,
according as the merits of each indi'
vid ual case may justify.
In the services Of the mourning,
which are worry long. and to the Indian
mind very impressive, the fret in the
order OF the day is q euiocistlc dis
course by ore OF the old men. which,
being delivered by him In sectiona, sc
| TO speak, 10 taken mp and sung by the
| rest 10 mon0tonous sort OF chant; the
rid man 10 then superseded by another
-. Nerabls buck, who goes through the
So, >ssgvice, and no In turn by another,
mn,,, i. u tho old men have had their in
S;v;dnu %ay. The chanters keep time
nv TIM NM. e the door with sticks and
beating in a dunn The performance
beina Gene over Tor a day or two, the
pO Ths BODY ay'' Of S'1 the deceased is first
wrapped 10 o mattir. = woven from
split roots, and 10 appea. >ue6 fesem 0
ling coarse straw. They Nn convey
the body to the place OF @. 80 ation
which is always on tho bach d. n,sn
water mark. Ga this occasion 'oay
had on hand for the purpose OF burnt. V
the two bod.es, about one O. I'd Of wood,
come ep 1t and some In small logs.
Eirss q platform OF email logs IL laid
foot from the ground, and spacs OF
four inches bstwsen each log. Ga this
pyre, which was about seven feet long
| By a7e feet wide, the TIVE bodies were
placed, about thrss feet ap1rt, and
around them . miniature log bus Wal
built to . height oil four fest; the on
closed space Ia then carefully Allied IL
with split wood and fne k!ndling, md
now, livery thing being in readiness. the
fire 10 lighted from the bottom, Ths
pAtive diet being chiefly sAlni51, al
oily substance, the bodies OF tie IndianI
,,seem to pQn!ain It6ni;derable oil, Al
they baHa very readily. While tn.
corptes were charriug, the friends o
tho deceased continued TO poke then
with long sticks, occasionally rak!ns
tho Fragments of burnt flesh from IA
are and wrapping them IN skios, lam
kets, etc. Returning from the Jrema
ton OF the two natives, / hear i einGip,
In q native house, and DR. Jppsd in 1
see what was going on.
There was quito 81 Asasnhlaze of ma
tlves squatte1 aror.Aa small fr-in tt
centre Of the o.m, and q, one ED c
the horse ,.ae eoYpss of an old wcma
lay. covered with sheet and blankets
S-il sround the room was strung u
muslin, pieces of calico, and fov
blankets; also, three umbrellas, etc
all OF which will 10 distributed anon
the relatives and near ffisnds. The
the process described above will be gon
, through.